Tea production, which remained subdued in the first three months of 2010 because of heat wave in North India and poor rainfall in other regions, possibly picked up in April and May, a senior industry official said.
?Heat wave in March affected tea production in the North, especially in West Bengal . The rise in temperature delayed the crop. The first flush of tea, which normally reaches the market around March, is arriving now,? M Das Gupta, secretary general, Indian Tea Association told FE on the sidelines of a seminar on tea on Wednesday.
However, industry players feel, the rise output in April and May could be temporary as poor rains in March might adversely impact production in Darjeeling and West Bengal in the coming months. ?The crop in lower Assam looks promising due to continuous rain in March,? Das Gupta said.
Across North India , the average temperature in April hovered around 38 degrees celsius. North Indian tea comprises of crop from West Bengal, Assam and Himachal Pradesh.
The picture is greener down South. Favourable weather conditions in the latter part of 2009 have pushed up tea production in the region.
?Tea production in South India may rise to 997 million kg this year. The whole of South is experiencing favourable weather. So, output from that part will go up,? Das Gupta added.
India?s tea production in 2009 was 978.90 million kg, marginally down from 980 million kg of the previous year because of drought. Total tea production in January-March stood at 94 million kg as against 81 million kg during the same period of 2009.
According to Tea Board data, India, the world?s second-largest producer of tea after China and the largest tea consumer, contributes 28% of the world production and accounts for 14% of global trade in tea. Exports in 2009-10 jumped 14% to Rs 2,721 crore from Rs 2,381 crore in the previous year.